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Caroline Buchanan and Joost Wichman are the new crowned Four-Cross World Champions!

21.09.2013

The UCI Four Cross World Championships are over, the freshly crowned world champions come from the Netherlands and Australia. In the men’s competition Joost Wichman was unstoppable and in the women’s competition Caroline Buchanan pushed hard to become the Four-Cross queen.

In front of 5,000 cheering spectators, Bikepark Leogang was lit up with supreme Four-Cross action. The qualification runs on Friday were held in rainy conditions, but the sun came out for the finals on Saturday afternoon and the race was held in ideal conditions. It seemed like the Czech riders were going to demonstrate their dominance in Four-Cross once more. Already in the qualification runs, Michael Mechura and Tomas Slavik came in fastest. Course designer and Four-Cross veteran Guido Tschugg from Germany finished third. Sitting comfortably at the top spots, they passed with ease the rest of their final heats and made it to the finals. Only Tschugg had to prove his experience in the quarter final, when he spectacularly overtook US rider Blake Carney out of a berm and made it to the semi final. Michal Marosi was the third Czech to enter the round with the last eight riders. For Four-Cross “oldie” Joost Wichman it all seemed to be over in the quarterfinal, when he showed an incredible overtaking maneuver, going from fourth to second position and qualifying for the semi finals.

In the small final, Tschugg leaded Michal Marosi and Slovak rider Marek Pesko. Tschugg was the fastest in this third heat, finishing in 5th, since Barry Nobles didn’t start and Marosi crashed on track. Pesko came in second and was ranked 6th.

The big final was composed of Mechura, Slavik, French Quentin Derbier and Joost Wichman. It looked like the Czechs were battling for the World Championship title in their own private duel. But the two countrymen took each other out in a crash during the race. Derbier could have stolen the title, if not for Joost “the Boost” Wichman’s unbelievable air born overtaking maneuver. Risking everything in his last World Championship race, he could beat Derbier who had been passed by Mechura and consequently leaves Saalfelden Leogang with a Bronze medal. In fourth, one spot shy of the podium finished the season favourite, Tomas Slavik.

Here is the Top 32 from the men’s Four-Cross World Championships:

1. WICHMAN Joost NED19780519 NETHERLANDS

2. MECHURA Michael CZE19930213 CZECH REPUBLIC

3. DERBIER Quentin FRA19850624 FRANCE

4. SLAVIK Tomas CZE19870612 CZECH REPUBLIC

5. TSCHUGG Guido GER19760514 GERMANY

6. PESKO Marek SVK19880617 SLOVAKIA

7. MAROSI Michal CZE19780529 CZECH REPUBLIC

8. NOBLES Barry USA19861202 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DNS

9. BEAUMONT Scott GBR19780602 GREAT BRITAIN

10. BECKEMAN Felix SWE19911121 SWEDEN

11. MUFF Marco SUI19950608 SWITZERLAND

12. CARNEY Blake USA19910128 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

13. RIHA Jakub CZE19920227 CZECH REPUBLIC

14. POZZONI Giovanni ITA19960422 ITALY

15. LAST Benedikt GER19940528 GERMANY

16. WALDBURGER Simon SUI19930226 SWITZERLAND DNF

17. AXELSSON David SWE19900720 SWEDEN

18. ROTNIK Urban SLO19911218 SLOVENIA

19. DOLFIN Stefano ITA19950104 ITALY

20. DOWIE Tom GBR19900204 GREAT BRITAIN

21. KISTNER Benjamin SUI19910616 SWITZERLAND

22. METCALFE Alexander GBR19940911 GREAT BRITAIN

23. JARRIN MOLINA Mario José ECU19840125

24. PRIJKEL Daniel NED19880608 NETHERLANDS

25. VEJVODA Joe AUS19940814 AUSTRALIA

26. SCHERZ Stefan GER19861103 GERMANY

27. GÖHLER Aiko GER19900613 GERMANY

28. EVANS William GBR19841006 GREAT BRITAIN

29. MYSIK Milan CZE19930523 CZECH REPUBLIC

30. MALLINSON Joe GBR19941125 GREAT BRITAIN

31. SCHUBERT Rick GER19900515 GERMANY

32. KAUFMANN Ingo GER19951202 GERMANY

In the women’s competition, starting in a four heat quarter final, the title aspirants Anneke Beerten (NED), current BMX World Champion Caroline Buchanan (AUS) and Katy Curd (GBR) made it easily to the finals as expected. Only Czech rider Romana Labounkova, also considered as a favorite for the title, was defeated by French Céline Gros in the semi final. Labounkova had to go for the small final with German Steffi Marth (GER), Lucia Oetjen (SUI) and Helene Valerie Fruhwirth from Austria. The former BMX rider from Czech Republic showed her class and confidently finished first to achieve 5th overall, followed by Marth, Fruhwirth and Oetjen.

The big final between Caroline Buchanan, Céline Gros, Anneke Beerten and Katy Curd was cleary dominated by Australian Buchanan. Buchanan sprinted for Gold and left Curd in second and Gros in third. Anneke Beerten heavily cheered on by the spectators, had to push her totally deformed bike over the finish line, a big gesture from the Dutch rider.

Here is the full result from the women’s Four-Cross World Championships:

1 BUCHANAN Caroline AUS19901024 AUSTRALIA

2 CURD Katy GBR19890427 GREAT BRITAIN

3 GROS Céline FRA19830128 FRANCE

4 BEERTEN Anneke NED19820707 NETHERLANDS

5 LABOUNKOVA Romana CZE19890427 CZECH REPUBLIC

6 MARTH Steffi GER19850819 GERMANY

7 FRUHWIRTH Helene Valerie AUT19830811 AUSTRIA

8 OETJEN Lucia SUI19810926 SWITZERLAND

9 BRETHAUER Laura GER19870802 GERMANY

10 BÖRSCHIG Anna GER19930525 GERMANY

11 GERLACH Sarah GER19921222 GERMANY

12 RABEDER Elke AUT19770526

13 HRASTNIK Monica SLO19940607 SLOVENIA

14 MURRAY Cara GBR19900316 GREAT BRITAIN

15 LACKAS Julia GER19850228 GERMANY

16 GREAVES Jessica GBR19930726 GREAT BRITAIN

After the crowning of the new Four-Cross world champions, there will be another mountain bike highlight: the final of the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup on Sunday, September 22nd. In the women’s competition, leader Rachel Atherton (GBR) starts with a comfortable 160 points lead, but second-placed Emmeline Ragot (FRA) still has the chance to grab the title, since she can win 200 points with a first place result. In the men’s competition, leader Gee Atherton (GBR) is only separated by 17 points from the Canadian Steve Smith. An exciting duel for tomorrow is expected.

Here is the schedule for the downhill competitions:

World Cup DHI Final Men Juniors (12.30pm)

World Cup DHI Final Women (2.15pm)

World Cup DHI Final Men Elite (3.00pm)

The downhill competition will also be broadcasted live on the internet!

All news about the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup and the UCI Four-Cross World Championships as well as about biking in Saalfelden Leogang can be found on the new bike channel: http://bike.saalfelden-leogang.com/

The organization committee, the UCI and all the athletes are looking forward to the seeing the spectators at the 2013 UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup and UCI Four-Cross World Championship!